


Calling Bluffs to Steady the Pendulum

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 03, Bechdel Test Fail, Blackmail, Canon Gay Character, Canon Queer Character, Conversations, Disturbing Themes, Gen, Mind Games, POV Multiple, Post-Season/Series 02 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6589543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taking place before mid-to-late season 3, Cyrus finds out about Tom being B6-13. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calling Bluffs to Steady the Pendulum

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

Striding through the hall, Cyrus ordered, “Tom, my office, now!”

Tom looked around at the puzzled looks of Hal and the nearby people before complying.

“Shut the door, and sit down.”

Shutting the door, Tom started, “Respectfully, sir, you don’t have the authorisation to-”

“Tell me, Tom, do you know what the penalty for spying on the President of the United States of America is? It’s somewhere along the lines of, ‘Your ass could end up in Cuba.’ Now, I hate to be cliché, but if I’m suddenly dead, information about you comes out. If I walk out that door and start making accusations about a high-ranking Secret Service agent spying on the president, the digging begins, and based on what I know of our mutual acquaintance, Charlie, many, many more horrible, illegal, Cuba’s too good for the likes of such a traitor things will be found.”

Tom sat down.

Following suit, Cyrus sighed. “You were good,” he grudgingly offered. “No one ever would have suspected you.”

“Thank you, sir. Charlie told you?”

“Play nicely, Tom,” Cyrus warned. “Command is in a hole. Ballard doesn’t have the slavish devotion Rowan inspired. And Charlie was in a desperate situation and played the one card he knew I couldn’t resist.”

“A B6-13 agent you could control even more than you can him. One who might be able to help you influence the president.”

“I’m glad you have a brain behind your idiotic devotion,” Cyrus said. “But one correction: There is no might about it. You will help me, Tom. I own you, now. That information I mentioned- by the time you got how to stop it out of me, it’d be too late. I can’t take Ballard or B6-13, and truthfully, I don’t care enough to try. But I can destroy you. Running to them won’t help you, because, again, by the time they got how to stop it out, it’d be too late.”

“I understand, sir,” Tom said.

Cyrus studied him for a long moment. “Good. First, you’re going to answer some questions, and then, we’re going to talk about your new duties.”

…

Stepping into his apartment, Charlie sighed, “Really?”

Holding up his hands, he continued, “I’ve never seen you torture. Want to tell me how this goes so I can try to mentally brace myself, or are you just waiting for me to finish talking before you kill me? If it’s the latter, you’ll understand why I’m inclined to keep talking. But even still, it’d be nice if my last words had some meaning-”

“Just help me get the proof Cyrus has on me away from him, and we’ll be square, again,” Tom interrupted.

“What, really?” Charlie gave him a suspicious look and slowly lowered his hands.

“Really,” Tom confirmed.

“Even without it, he can still have an investigation opened on you.”

“Without it, he can be handled.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” Charlie said. “I’ll miss him, but what the hey, right? Better him than me. I’m going to sit down, now.”

Tom nodded.

“He might have told the hubby,” Charlie suggested. “Or involved Olivia Pope. It’s possible he has it on a timer, set to be released if he doesn’t reset. I don’t know if he’d do digital or hardcopy, though. Look, I’ll do anything to help, but me and him are- were more Mafioso and enforcer than besties.”

“He wouldn’t involve James Novak,” Tom said. “He loves him.”

“Didn’t stop him from putting a hit on him,” Charlie said.

He explained.

“It’s unlikely he’d involve his husband,” Tom amended. “All the same, what do you know about their marriage?”

“They’re sickeningly in love. If you’re thinking honeypot for either of them, it’s not going to work. Novak, dear, painfully boring Novak, will do anything to keep the domestic fairy tale he has with Cyrus, and Cyrus-”

“Hasn’t so much as looked at another man with desire since he met Novak,” Tom finished with a hint of frustration in his tone.

“Aware I’m on very thin ice- is honeypotting your standard M.O. for most missions?”

“Olivia Pope runs through the country through President Grant. Command’s wife almost destroyed us. You temporarily got Perkins on our side until she was seduced back to Ms Pope’s side by-”

“Hey, low blow,” Charlie protested. At Tom’s look, however, he said, “But yeah, given the circumstances, it could be argued I deserve it.”

“The point is, scandals and destruction often have sex or, at least, some form of seduction in the mix. Likewise, sex can often be used to smooth over situations.”

“True. Well, we could kidnap Novak or the baby or both and you, taking all responsibility, could use that as leverage. If we’re square, please, let us be square. I might need jobs from Cyrus in the future.”

Tom considered the suggestion. “No. There are some bridges I don’t want to burn, yet.”

“I need some sugar,” Charlie said. “You gonna let me get something to eat?”

“You know what happens if you go for your weapons,” Tom replied.

Getting some pie, a jug of milk, two glasses, and a bottle of water out, Charlie took a drink from both the milk jug and the bottle before setting them down on the table.

Tom took the bottle.

“So, personal question, but how’re you feeling about this? No question, Cyrus needs to be stopped, but you seem remarkably zen, even for you.”

Shrugging, Tom took a small drink. “None of this is particularly surprising. Once I get the proof, _he_ can be an asset to _me_.”

“It disturbs me that I have no idea if this is personal or just you being resourceful,” Charlie announced.

“I don’t make things personal,” Tom said. “And I’m always resourceful. He’s brilliant, determined, and has little in the way of subscription to moral absolutes. He’s not as good as the former Command, but he’s not one for ordinary people, Novak withstanding. Someday, I’m going to want or need something, and he’s going to be the best person to utilise.”

“And,” Tom finished, “he opened this door. Most likely, I never would have considered him due to protecting my cover.”

“Hell is made of fury, but the devil is made of ice, and a wise man would take hell over him,” Charlie muttered.

Tom stared.

“Something my nana used to say,” Charlie told him. “I’ve heard the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath is that the former will torture an animal for fun and the latter will torture an animal just to catalogue its reaction. From personal experience, I’d rather be on the bad side of someone like Spin than you.”

“I’d rather be on the bad side of someone like me,” Tom responded. “Physical torture can break a person. Mental games can, too, but if you win, you come out stronger. With that said, let’s start drawing a detailed picture of who Cyrus Beene the man is.”

…

Cyrus paused when he came into his office and found Tom standing inside.

Hesitating, he closed the door. “What are you doing here, Tom?”

“Calling your bluff,” Tom answered. “You did have some information stored on a cloud, but it’s gone, now. Other than that, you were relying on my feeling helpless and trapped. Go ahead, sir, and go make those accusations. You can make them without drawing suspicion on yourself, and I might end up in Cuba or worse.  Or you can let me walk out and go sign in. You’ll keep an eye on me, I’ll keep an eye on you, and I’m sure, eventually, you’ll try to go after me again. I’ll be ready.”

“And why wouldn’t I go with the first option,” Cyrus asked.

“Maybe you will. As I said, sir, I’m calling your bluff. If you decide to call mine, I promise, you will arrive safely to whoever you want to talk to. After I’m in an interrogation room, however- well, I know what will happen, then. Are you willing to brave the helpless and trapped feeling like I was? Or do you choose an uneasy, shaky, but yet still more stable safety of letting me go? You have information on me. I’m a B6-13 agent and a trained member of the Secret Service you tried to blackmail. At this point, it’s undeniably mutually assured destruction. In the future, the pendulum might swing.”

“By definition, pendulums- Never mind.” Cyrus sighed.

Reaching behind him, he opened the door, walked over to his desk, and sat down. “That will be all, Tom.”

Tom walked over behind the desk.

Cyrus gave him a tense look.

Laughing softly, Tom quietly said, “It’s good you choose this. Here’s something else to think on: Someday, you’re going to want or need something badly, and I’m going to be the best choice. Since we see each other, if you’re willing to give me what I want, I’ll do it for you.”

“It sounds as if you already know what you want,” Cyrus muttered.

“I do,” Tom said. “But I’m not going to tell you what until you’re so desperate that I’m as confident as I can be that you'll say yes.”

Straightening, he reached up and adjusted his tie. “Have a good day, Mr Beene.”

Walking out, he closed the door behind him.

Groaning, Cyrus buried his head in his hands. 


End file.
